diff --git a/win/Qt/qt_icon.cpp b/win/Qt/qt_icon.cpp
index 4076fc65d..b8f0e694d 100644
--- a/win/Qt/qt_icon.cpp
+++ b/win/Qt/qt_icon.cpp
@@ -133,19 +133,16 @@ void NetHackQtLabelledIcon::setFont(const QFont& f)
     if (label) label->setFont(f);
 }
 
-// [pr] this might no longer be needed; it seems to have been responsible
-// for highlighting the blank space where an optional field like Score
-// was just toggled off; we don't need or want that anymore...
+// used to highlight status conditions going from Off (blank) to On as "Worse"
 void NetHackQtLabelledIcon::show()
 {
-    if (
-#if QT_VERSION >= 300
-        isHidden()
-#else
-        !isVisible()
-#endif
-        && comp_mode != NoCompare)
-	highlight(hl_worse);
+    // Hunger and Encumbrance are worse when going from not shown
+    // to anything and they're set to SmallerIsBetter, so both
+    // BiggerIsBetter and SmallerIsBetter warrant hl_worse here.
+    // Fly, Lev, and Ride are set NeitherIsBetter so that when
+    // they appear they won't be classified as worse.
+    if (isHidden() && comp_mode != NoCompare)
+	highlight((comp_mode != NeitherIsBetter) ? hl_worse : hl_changd);
     QWidget::show();
 }
 
diff --git a/win/Qt/qt_stat.cpp b/win/Qt/qt_stat.cpp
index dbd011d1e..88a6cfa8c 100644
--- a/win/Qt/qt_stat.cpp
+++ b/win/Qt/qt_stat.cpp
@@ -718,24 +718,45 @@ void NetHackQtStatusWindow::updateStats()
     boolean spreadout = (::iflags.wc2_statuslines != 2);
     int k = 0; // number of conditions shown
 
-    const char* hung=hu_stat[u.uhs];
+    long qt_uhs = 0L;
+    const char *hung = hu_stat[u.uhs];
     if (hung[0]==' ') {
-	hunger.hide();
+        if (!hunger.isHidden()) {
+            hunger.setLabel("", NetHackQtLabelledIcon::NoNum, qt_uhs);
+            hunger.hide();
+        }
     } else {
+        // satiated is worse (due to risk of death from overeating)
+        // than not-hungry and we'll treat it as also worse than hungry,
+        // but better than weak or fainting; the u.uhs enum values
+        // order them differently so we jump through a hoop
+        switch (u.uhs) {
+        case NOT_HUNGRY: qt_uhs = 0L; break;
+        case HUNGRY:     qt_uhs = 1L; break;
+        case SATIATED:   qt_uhs = 2L; break;
+        case WEAK:       qt_uhs = 3L; break;
+        case FAINTING:   qt_uhs = 4L; break;
+        default:         qt_uhs = 5L; break; // fainted, starved
+        }
 	hunger.setIcon(u.uhs ? p_hungry : p_satiated);
-	hunger.setLabel(hung);
+        hunger.setLabel(hung, NetHackQtLabelledIcon::NoNum, qt_uhs);
         hunger.ForceResize();
 	++k, hunger.show();
     }
-    const char *enc = enc_stat[near_capacity()];
+    long encindx = (long) near_capacity();
+    const char *enc = enc_stat[encindx];
     if (enc[0]==' ' || !enc[0]) {
-	encumber.hide();
+        if (!encumber.isHidden()) {
+            encumber.setLabel("", NetHackQtLabelledIcon::NoNum, encindx);
+            encumber.hide();
+        }
     } else {
-	encumber.setIcon(p_encumber[near_capacity() - 1]);
-	encumber.setLabel(enc);
+        encumber.setIcon(p_encumber[encindx - 1]);
+        encumber.setLabel(enc, NetHackQtLabelledIcon::NoNum, encindx);
         encumber.ForceResize();
 	++k, encumber.show();
     }
+
     if (Stoned) ++k, stoned.show(); else stoned.hide();
     if (Slimed) ++k, slimed.show(); else slimed.hide();
     if (Strangled) ++k, strngld.show(); else strngld.hide();
@@ -917,12 +938,13 @@ void NetHackQtStatusWindow::updateStats()
     if (first_set) {
 	first_set=false;
 
-        was_polyd = Upolyd ? true : false;
-        had_exp = ::flags.showexp ? true : false;
-        had_score = ::flags.showscore ? true : false;
-
+        /*
+         * Default compareMode is BiggerIsBetter:  an increased value
+         * is an improvement.
+         */
 	name.highlightWhenChanging();
-	dlevel.highlightWhenChanging(); dlevel.setCompareMode(NeitherIsBetter);
+        dlevel.highlightWhenChanging();
+            dlevel.setCompareMode(NeitherIsBetter);
 
 	str.highlightWhenChanging();
 	dex.highlightWhenChanging();
@@ -933,7 +955,8 @@ void NetHackQtStatusWindow::updateStats()
 
 	hp.highlightWhenChanging();
 	power.highlightWhenChanging();
-	ac.highlightWhenChanging(); ac.setCompareMode(SmallerIsBetter);
+        ac.highlightWhenChanging();
+            ac.setCompareMode(SmallerIsBetter);
 	level.highlightWhenChanging();
 	gold.highlightWhenChanging();
 
@@ -942,10 +965,13 @@ void NetHackQtStatusWindow::updateStats()
         //time.highlightWhenChanging(); time.setCompareMode(NeitherIsBetter);
 	score.highlightWhenChanging();
 
-	align.highlightWhenChanging(); align.setCompareMode(NeitherIsBetter);
+        align.highlightWhenChanging();
+            align.setCompareMode(NeitherIsBetter);
 
 	hunger.highlightWhenChanging();
+            hunger.setCompareMode(SmallerIsBetter);
 	encumber.highlightWhenChanging();
+            encumber.setCompareMode(SmallerIsBetter);
 	stoned.highlightWhenChanging();
 	slimed.highlightWhenChanging();
 	strngld.highlightWhenChanging();
@@ -956,9 +982,15 @@ void NetHackQtStatusWindow::updateStats()
 	hallu.highlightWhenChanging();
 	blind.highlightWhenChanging();
 	deaf.highlightWhenChanging();
+        // the default behavior is to highlight a newly shown condition
+        // as "worse" but that isn't appropriate for 'other' conds;
+        // NetHackQtLabelledIcon::show() uses NeitherIsBetter to handle it
 	lev.highlightWhenChanging();
+            lev.setCompareMode(NeitherIsBetter);
 	fly.highlightWhenChanging();
+            fly.setCompareMode(NeitherIsBetter);
 	ride.highlightWhenChanging();
+            ride.setCompareMode(NeitherIsBetter);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/win/Qt/qt_stat.h b/win/Qt/qt_stat.h
index a24028569..c09fae6c4 100644
--- a/win/Qt/qt_stat.h
+++ b/win/Qt/qt_stat.h
@@ -135,14 +135,13 @@ private:
         QFrame vline2; // for statuslines:2, padding between Gold and Time
 
 	int cursy;
-
 	bool first_set;
         bool alreadyfullhp;
+
+        // for some fields, we need to know more than just "changed since
+        // last update"; there's no 'had_time' because Time isn't highlighted
         bool was_polyd;
         bool had_exp;
-        // Time isn't highlighted (due to constantly changing) so we don't
-        // keep track of whether it was On and is now Off or vice versa
-        //bool had_time;
         bool had_score;
 
         QHBoxLayout *InitHitpointBar();